Slicing machine



July 27, 1937. E. A. REUSSENZEHN SLICING MACHINE Filed May 18, 1934 INVENTOR Y E N R O n A Patented July 27, 1937 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE SLICING MACHINE of Ohio Application May 18,

7 Claims.

This case relates to'machines for slicing meat or other provisions and particularly to such machines as have power means, usually an electric motor, for reciprocating an article holding car- 5 riage and rotating a knife to cut a slice from the article at each reciprocation. It is desirable to stop the driving of the carriage by the motor when the carriage is atthe beginning of its forward stroke at which time a complete slice has been out and the carriage retracted in readiness for another cutting cycle. One way of obtaining this result is disclosed in Patent 1,742,105. The present invention is an improvement on the structure of said patent and has for its object the provision of a simple and electrical means for stopping a carriage in a predetermined position, preferably the starting position. a

The object is further to initiate stopping of the machine by the operator turning off the main motor switch.

Fig. 1 is a View of the machine from the car riage side with part of the frame broken away to show the stop control, and

Fig. 2 is a circuit diagram.

The machine comprises base frame l slidably mounting carriage H for reciprocation past rotary knife l2. The carriage may be guided and the article clamped and cross-fed, for example as in Patent 1,284,684.

A motor I mounted on frame In drives the knife through belt or cable l5 and also rotates bevel gear l6 meshed with bevel gear I1. Rotation-of gear ll through crank arm l8 and link 19 reciprocates the carriage.

Except for the motor drive the above description is of conventional mechanism. The matter forming the present invention will now be described.

Referring to the circuit diagram, Fig. 2, snap switch 22 when closed by the operator completes a primary path for the motor circuit from the positive or lineof the current supply through switch 22, line 23, solenoid 24, line 25, and motor M to the negative or line. The latter circuit also energizes solenoid 24 to draw down its core 25 (see Fig. 1), theupper end of which is provided with stop pawl 21 for engaging stop 28 movable with carriage il. Accordingly, stop pawl 21 now being lowered is not in the path of stop 28 and therefore does not interfere with the carriage movement. 7 1 y Core 26 also is provided with a strip 29 of insulating material which when the core is lowered by energization of solenoid 24 engages an upper spring blade 3| to move it; towardsa lower spring 1934, Serial No. 726,199

blade 32, thereby closing contacts 33 carried by the blades. This completes a secondary path for the circuit of the motor and solenoid 24 from the line, through line 34, contacts 33, normally closed contacts 35, line 36, solenoid 24, line 25 and motor Hi to the line.

This secondary path Icy-passes or shunts out the snap switch 22.

The secondary path for the circuit is periodically interrupted, however, by the opening of contacts 35 upon each carriage reciprocation. As seen from Fig. 1, the lower spring blade 38 carrying the lower contact 35 is underneath a plunger 39 normally held in upper position with the rounded head 3| projecting above the surface of the base frame It by means of a coil spring 42. The head M of plunger 39 is in the path of stop 28 on the carriage and therefore near the end of the forward stroke of the carriage, the stop 28 engages the rounded head M and cams it downwardly to depress plunger 39 to move spring blade 38 away from the spring blade 43 carrying the upper contact 35. Thus, at the end of each forward stroke, the contacts 35 are opened to periodically interrupt the secondary path of the circuit through solenoid 24 and motor l4.

If at the time the secondary circuit path is broken, switch 22 is still closed then the primary path of the circuit is closed and the circuit complete to maintain the solenoid 24 and motor l4 energized. If, however, the operator wishes to stop operation of the machine, he opens switch 22 to open the primary path so'that when the secondary path is next opened by the carriage reciprocation, the circuit is completely broken through motor l4 and solenoid 24 which will then be deenergized. This occurs at the end of the forward stroke of the carriage when stop 28 depresses plunger 39 to open contacts 35. Although the motor has been deenergiz'ed the momentum. of its armature coupled with the momentum of the remainder of the moving parts of the device will function to sustain the movement of the carriage to its initial or Work receiving position. As solenoid 24 is now deenergized, spring 43 returns the core 26 to upper position with pawl 21 in the path of movement of stop 28. One side of the latter is inclined to engage a similarly inclined side of the upper end of pawl 21. Accordingly as the carriage nears the end of its return stroke; the inclined surfaces of the pawl 21 and stop 28 engage, and the pawl 21 with core 26 is thereby cammed downwardly to permit stop 28 to pass to theother side of the pawl. As soon as stop 28 passes pawl 21, spring 44 kicks the pawl up again and locates a fiat side thereof in the path of a fiat side of stop 28, thus preventing the carriage from moving forward from its starting position which it reaches when stop 28 passes pawl 2'5 on the return stroke. The carriage is thus stopped in starting position at the completion of a full slicing operation every time the operator opens switch 22.

As soon as the carriage due to momentum starts on its return stroke, stop 28 leaves plunger 39 and contacts 35 close again. This however does not re-close the secondary path of the circuit because solenoid 24 will have been 'de'energized and core 26 raised before contacts 35 reclose. Accordingly strip 29 on core 26 will have moved away from contact blade 3! and contacts 33 also in the secondary path will be open. Thus, the latter path remains open although contacts 35 re-close and the circuit cannot be made again until switch 22 is again closed.

To absorb the shock of engagement of stop 28 with pawl 21 should the carriage tend, by momentum, to move forward on its return stroke with pawl 27 in upper position, stop 28 is slidably mounted between a depending frame portion 4? of the carriage and a bracket 48 removably secured to the frame portion. The stip 28 projects through an elongated slot 49 in bracket 48 and is normally pressed by a coil spring 5!] in a forward direction. Accordingly, should stop 28 engage pawl 27 on the forward stroke of the carriage, the carriage ll will move slightly forward without moving stop 28 and spring 58 will be compressed to absorb the shock of engagement.

Briefly summarized, the operation is as follows:

To start the machine, the operator closes snap switch 22. This closes a primary path for the circuit of motor 54 and solenoid 24. Energization of solenoid 2:3 withdraws a pawl stop 27 from a stop 28 on the carriage and permits the carriage to be reciprocated by motor M which also rotates the knife.

Energization of solenoid 24 also closes contacts 33 which closes a secondary path for the circuit including also normally closed contacts 35 which are periodically opened, at the end of each forward stroke, by stop 28 of the carriage. The secondary path of the circuit periodically bypasses switch 22.

To stop the operation of the machine, the operator opens switch 22 opening the primary circuit path. The motor continues running until the carriage at the end of the next forward stroke opens contacts 35 to break the secondary circuit path. The circuit is thus completely open and solenoid 2 3 and motor M are deenergized. Deenergization of the solenoid opens contacts 33 to maintain the secondary circuit path open and also permits core 25 to rise and place stop pawl 27 in the path of stop 28 to thereby stop the carriage at the beginning of the forward stroke to which it has been carried by momentum after the motor ceased running.

While the invention has been disclosed in connection with the preferred, illustrated embodiment, variations, modifications, and changes made by those skilled in the art are considered to be within the scope of the present invention and therefore I wish to be limited only by the objects of the invention and by the claims.

I claim:

1. A slicing machine comprising a reciprocatable article holding carriage, a knife, past which the carriage moves, for cutting a slice from the article, an element movable in synchronism with the carriage, a second element engageable with the first element when the carriage is at a predetermined point of its travel to stop movement of the carriage, an electrical device for controlling interengagement of the elements, a circuit for the electrical device, and control means for said circuit operable to closed and open circuit positions, including a member periodically operated in synchronism with the carriage movement, for also opening the circuit at a predetermined point in the carriage movement to effect interengagement of the elements provided said control means has been previously placed in open circuit position.

2. A slicing machine comprising a reciprocatable article holding carriage, a knife, past which the carriage moves, for cutting a slice from the article, an element movable in synchronism with the carriage, a second element engageable with the first element to stop the carriage in a predetermined position, an electrical device for controlling interengagement of the elements, a

circuit for said electrical device, and control means for varying the circuit condition to effect interengagement of said elements under control of said device including a member operated by the operator at any point of the carriage travel and a member periodically operated at a predetermined point of the carriage movement for timing effective control of the circuit by the firstnamed member.

3. A slicing machine comprising a reciprocatable article holding carriage, a knife, past which the carriage moves, to cut a slice from the article, an element movable in synchronism with the carriage, a second element engageable with the first element when the carriage is at the beginning of a cutting stroke to stop the carriage movement, an electrical device for controlling interengagement of the elements, a circuit for the device, a switch in said circuit periodically operated at a predetermined point of the movement of the carriage, a by-pass path for the circuit shunting the switch and rendering the latter ineffective when operated to vary the circuit condition, and a switch in said by-pass path operated at will to render the first-named switch effective to vary the circuit condition when the carriage reaches said predetermined point for effecting interengagement of said elements under control of said device.

4. A slicing machine comprising a reciprocatable article holding carriage, a knife, past which the carriage moves, to cut a slice from the article, an element movable in synchronism with the carriage, drive 'means for the carriage, a second element engageable with the first element to stop the carriage in a predetermined position, an electromagnetic device for controlling interengagement of said elements, and a circuit including a switch operated by the operator at any point of the carriage travel to deenergize said drive means and to open the circuit to said electromagnetic device to release the same into the path of travel of the carriage, a holding circuit shunting said switch, and means for periodically opening said holding circuit at a predetermined point in the carriage movement in advance of the stop position to effect deenergization of the drive means and the slowing down of the carriage as it approaches said stop position.

' 5. A slicing machine comprising a reciprocatabl e article'holding carriage, a motor for driving said carriage, a magnetic device, a common circuit for said motor and said device, a switch in the circuit momentarily opened by the carriage at a predetermined point of the carriage travel, a bypass path for the circuit shunting said switch, and an operators switch in the bypass path opened at will to complete opening of the circuit when the first-mentioned switch opens to thereby stop the motor and deenergize said magnetic device, and mechanism released by'deenergization of said magnetic device to stop movement of the carriage under its own momentum, after the circuit opens, at a predetermined point of the carriage movement.

6. In a device of the character described, the combination of a rotary slicing knife, a carriage supported for reciprocation in working and return excursions across said knife from a predetermined position, power means to reciprocate said carriage and operate said knife, stop means to positively prevent movement of said carriage from said predetermined position, manual means adjustable to one position to initiate operation of said power means and to simultaneously disable said step means, said manual means being adjustable to another position to condition the power means for stopping, and means to prevent deenergization of said power means following the moving of said manual means to said other position of adjustment until the beginning of a return excursion of said carriage, said stop means being released upon deenergization of the power means to effect positive stopping of the carriage at said predetermined position in its path of travel.

'7. In a device of the character described, the combination of an enclosing base frame, a knife journalled on an axis above said base frame, a carriage supported on said base frame for reciprocation in advancing and return excursions across the face of said knife from a predetermined position rearwardly thereof, a motor fixed to said base frame and arranged to rotate said knife and reciprocate said carriage, switch means located on and manually operable from the exterior of said base frame to establish a primary power circuit to said motor, a secondary power circuit for said motor, a normally closed switch in said secondary circuit and enclosed within said base frame, means located within said base frame coacting with said carriage arranged to momentarily break said secondary power circuit to the motor at the conclusion of each advancing excursion of said carriage, the primary power circuit to said motor being effective to maintain motor operation during such momentary opening of said secondary circuit, and said secondary power circuit to said motor being effective to maintain operation of the latter subsequent to opening of the primary circuit until the conclusion of an advancing excursion of the carriage subsequent to opening of said primary circuit.

ERNEST A. REUSSENZEHN. 

